Motion translating apparatus and controls therefor

ABSTRACT

The principles of operation of the various mechanisms are illustrated in a preferred form of an apparatus for transferring an article from an article pickup station to an article deposit station. A carrier housing is moved up and down along a vertical travel path and carries an indexing hub journally supported therein for rotation in the carrier housing. Article pickup means are provided and include one or more arms extending from the hub means and an article grasping device on each of the arms. A first one of the arms extends towards and positions the article grasping device carried thereon at a pickup station to enable article grasping when the carrier housing is at one end of the vertical travel path. In response to travel of the carrier housing in a first direction along the path the index hub is rotated to index the first arm out of the article pickup position while indexing another article grasping means on another of the plurality of arms into alignment with the pickup station. In response to travel of the carrier housing in a second direction along the path the plurality of arms are maintained in the position achieved during the indexing of the arms during travel of the carrier housing in the first direction. The position of the article on the pickup means may be reoriented during the travel of the pickup means from the pickup station to the deposit station. The article is inverted by the indexing of the pickup arm and is stripped from the pickup arm during travel of the carrier housing downwardly. An automatic mechanical clutch is disclosed to lock the pickup arms in and out of rotation modes. A novel vacuum operated pickup head and a novel vacuum valve for automatically controlling the connection of a vacuum to the pickup head is disclosed. A mechanical cable, chain and cable drum system is utilized to provide positive rotation of the pickup arms during the indexing thereof. A servo system is described which synchronizes the continuous motion of the transfer device with an article supplying means and includes means for programming any choice of motion of the interrelated components. A plurality of novel sub-systems are disclosed which, in addition to their interrelated use in the overall system described herein, have applications individually or with other systems. Hydraulic, electrical, and mechanical controls for the interrelation of the operation of the several sub-systems is also described.

United States Patent [1 1 Cuniberti 1 1 MOTION TRANSLATING APPARATUS AND CONTROLS THEREFOR [75] Inventor: Mario Cuniberti, Columbus, Ohio [73] Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc., Toledo, Ohio [221 Filed: Oct. 6, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 295,530

[52] U.S. Cl. 214/1 BT, 214/1 Q [51] Int. Cl. B66c 1/02 [58] Field of Search..... 214/1 BB, 1 BT, l BV, 1 Q, 214/1 BD [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,912,125 11/1959 Peras 214/1 BB 3,542,213 11/1970 Gram 214/1 BB Primary ExaminerRobert G. Sheridan Assistant ExaminerGeorge F. Abraham 5 7 ABSTRACT The principles of operation of the various mechanisms are illustrated in a preferred form of an apparatus for transferring an article from an article pickup station to an article deposit station. A carrier housing is moved up and down along a vertical travel path and carries an indexing hub joumally supported therein for rotation in the carrier housing. Article pickup means are provided and include one or more arms extending from the hub means and an article grasping device on each of the arms. A first one of the arms extends towards and positions the article grasping device carried thereon at a pickup station to enable article grasping when the carrier housing is at one end of the vertical travel path. In response to travel of the carrier housing in a first direction along the path the index hub is rotated to index the first arm out of the article pickup position while indexing another article grasping means on another of the plurality of arms into alignment with the pickup station. In response to travel of the carrier housing in a second direction along the path the plurality of arms are maintained in the position achieved during the indexing of the arms during travel of the carrier housing in the first direction. The position of the article on the pickup means may be reoriented during the travel of the pickup means from the pickup station to the deposit station, The article is inverted by the indexing of the pickup arm and is stripped from the pickup arm during travel of the carrier housing downwardly. An automatic mechanical clutch is disclosed to lock the pickup arms in and out of rotation modes. A novel vacuum operated pickup head and a novel vacuum valve for automatically controlling the connection of a vacuum to the pickup head is disclosed. A mechanical cable, chain and cable drum system is utilized to provide positive rotation of the pickup arms during the indexing thereof. A servo system is described which synchronizes the continuous motion of the transfer device with an article supplying means and includes means for programming any choice of motion of the interrelated components. A plurality of novel sub-systems are disclosed which, in addition to their interrelated use in the overall system described herein, have applications individually or with other systems. Hydraulic, electrical, and mechanical controls for the interrelation of the operation of the several sub-systems is also described.

24 Claims, 37 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDUCHSIQM 3.841.497

SHEU 03 0F 23 PROGRAM AND E 37 FEEDBACK UNIT 9 57 96, K 2

REVERSIBLE 380 mama? PMENIEunm 1 5 me SHEET 0? OF 23 Ill T MENIED OUT I 51974 sum 08 0F 23 FIG. 7

xo amE Avg sum 1.2 or 23 PMENTEBUU 1 51914 PATENTEnum 1 51914 SHEEY 1311f 23 PAIENTED mm 5:914 I 35.8 Mg? saw 1 OF 2 I FIG.

PATENTED 1 5l974 3.841 .497

sum 11 or 23 PATENTE our 1 51914 sum 19 or 23 +8 1. fir h 05 %/7m mm /(0% m 

1. Apparatus for controlling relative motion of a plurality of components comprising a. an element to be selectively rotated; b. carrier means for journally supporting said element; c. means for moving said carrier means to cause said element to travel along a predetermined path, said path having a first portion along which said element is not to be rotated and a second portion along which said element is to be rotated; d. means for rotating said element; e. means for sensing the position of said element on said path and providing a signal when said element is on one of said portions; f. means responsive to said sensing means signal for connecting said element rotating means to rotate said element when said element is traveling along said second portion of said path; g. an indexing hub means journally supported in said carrier means; h. clutch means for selectively connecting said indexing hub means to said element to be selectively rotated; i. said carrier moving means reciprocating said carrier means along a linear path; j. means for actuating said clutch means to selectively connect said indexinb hub means to said element to be selectively rotated when said element is traveling in a first direction along said path; k. said carrier moving means reciprocating said carrier means along a vertical linear path, iN which said first portion of said vertical path is the first upward vertical movement of said carrier means, and in which said clutch means is actuated to connect said rotatable element to said indexing hub means when said rotatable element is traveling in an upward direction; l. said element rotating means being connected through said rotatable element to rotate said indexing hub means 180* during said second portion of vertical travel of said rotatable element; m. means for maintaining said indexing hub means at its rotated position during downward vertical travel of said rotatable element; n. a pair of arms mounted on said indexing hub means and extending in opposite directions therefrom; and o. article grasping means mounted on the end of each of said arms.
 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 which further includes means for actuating one of said article grasping means to grasp an article when said rotatable element is at the lower end of said vertical travel.
 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 which further includes means for actuating said one of said article grasping means to release a grasped article when said rotatable element is at the upper end of said vertical travel, thereby enabling an article to be grasped, lifted and inverted.
 4. Apparatus for controlling relative motion of a plurality of components comprising a. an element to be selectively rotated; b. carrier means for journally supporting said element; c. means for moving said carrier means to cause said element to travel along a predetermined path, said path having a first portion along which said element is not to be rotated and a second portion along which said element is to be rotated; d. means for rotating said element; e. means for sensing the position of said element on said path and providing a signal when said element is on one of said portions; f. means responsive to said sensing means signal for connecting said element rotating means to rotate said element when said element is traveling along said second portion of said path; g. an indexing hub means journally supported in said carrier means; h. clutch means for selectively connecting said indexing hub means to said element to be selectively rotated; i. said carrier moving means reciprocating said carrier means along a linear path; j. means for actuating said clutch means to selectively connect said indexing hub means to said element to be selectively rotated when said element is traveling in a first direction along said path; k. said element rotating means being connected through said rotatable element to rotate said indexing hub means a predetermined angular amount; l. means for maintaining said indexing hub means at its angularly rotated position when said element is traveling in a second direction along said linear path; m. at least one arm extending from said indexing hub means; and n. article grasping means carried on said arm.
 5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 which further includes means for actuating said article grasping means to grasp an article when said rotatable element is at one end of said linear travel path.
 6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 which further includes means for actuating said article grasping means to release a grasped article when said rotatable elemnt is at the other end of said linear travel path.
 7. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 which further includes means for rotating said article grasping means between an article grasping and an article release location to reorient the position of an article with respect to said arm extending from said indexing hub means.
 8. Apparatus for transferring an article from an article pickup station to an article deposit station, comprising a. a carrier housing; b. means for moving said carrier housing up and down along a vertical travel path; c. indexing hub means journally supported for rotation in said carrier housing; d. article pickUp means including a plurality of arms extending from said hub means and an article grasping means carried on each of said arms, a first one of said arms extending toward and positioning the article grasping means carried thereon at a pickup station to enable article grasping when said carrier housing is at one end of said travel path; e. means responsive to travel of said carrier housing in a first direction along said path for rotating said hub means to index said first arm out of an article pickup position while indexing an article grasping means on another of said plurality of arms into alignment with said article pickup station; and f. means actuatable during travel of said carrier housing in a second direction along said path for maintainig said plurality of arms in their indexed position achieved during travel of said carrier housing in said second direction to move said aligned article grasping means on said other arm into article grasping position at said pickup station at said one end of said travel path.
 9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 which further includes means for actuating an article grasping means to grasp an article when an article grasping means is at a pickup station.
 10. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 which further includes means responsive to an inversion of an article grasping means from an article pickup position by said indexing hub means for releasing the grasp of that article grasping means on an article carried thereby.
 11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10 in which said first direction of travel of said carrier housing is upwardly along said path and said second direction of travel of said carrier housing in downwardly along said path.
 12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11 which further includes an article deposit station having spaced article receiving elements and located to strip an article from an inverted article grasping means during downward travel of said carrier housing.
 13. Apparatus as defined in claim 10 which further includes reorienting means for rotating an article grasping means during its travel between article pickup and deposit stations to orient an article in a predetermined position at said deposit station.
 14. Apparatus as defined in claim 13 in which said reorienting means includes a. means for rotatably supporting each article grasping means on its pickup arm, b. cam arrangement means responsive to indexing rotation of said indexing hub means, and c. linkage means connecting said cam means and said article grasping means for translating movement of said cam arrangement means into rotational movement for said article grasping means.
 15. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 in whcih each of said article grasping means comprises a vacuum chuck assembly which includes a vacuum pickup head and means responsive to contact with an article for enabling connection of a vacuum source to said pickup head.
 16. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 in which a. said articles being transferred having a concave surface; and in which b. each of said article grasping means includes a vacuum chuck assembly which, when located at said pickup station, extends from its pickup arm into and establishes a vacuum grasp on said concave surface of an article at said pickup station.
 17. Apparatus as defined in claim 16 in which a. said articles are each carried in a concave support; and which further includes b. means for enabling operation of said hub rotating means after said carrier housing has moved a sufficient distance in said first direction along said path to permit hub rotation without any contact with a concave support at said pickup station.
 18. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 in which said hub rotating means includes a. hub driving means rotatable during travel of said carrier housing; and b. clutch means responsive to travel of said carrier housing in said first direction for engaging said hub driving means to rotate said indexing hub means.
 19. Apparatus as defined in claim 18 in which said clutch means includes a. means carried by one of said hub driving and indexing hub means for connecting said indexing hub means to said hub driving means; and b. means responsive to the location of said carrier housing means at the start of said first direction of travel for urging said connecting means into engagement with the other of said hub driving and indexing hub means.
 20. Apparatus as defined in claim 19 in which said clutch means further includes means responsive to the completion of an indexing movement of said indexing hub means for urging said connecting means out of engagement with the other of said hub driving and indexing hub means.
 21. Apparatus as defined in claim 20 in which said means for urging said connecting means into and out of hub driving position comprises a. engagement spring means and disengagement spring means; b. means responsive to the location of said carrier housing at the start of said first direction of travel for enabling relatively greater spring force to be exerted by said engagement spring means; and c. means responsive to the completion of an indexing movement of said indexing hub means for enabling relatively greater spring force to be exerted by said disengagement spring means.
 22. Apparatus as defined in claim 21 in which a. one of said engagement spring means and said disengagement spring means is located to provide a spring force between the carrier housing means and said connecting means; b. the other of said engagement spring means and disengagement spring means is located to provide a spring force between said connecting means and one of said hub driving means and indexing hub means, and in which c. said means responsive to the location of said carrier housing and said means responsive to the completion of an indexing movement of said indexing hub means comprises a clutch action spring retainer means for retaining one of said engagement and disengagement spring means, and means eresponsive to the location of said carrier housing for advancing and retracting said spring retainer means to change the spring force of the one of said spring means retained thereby.
 23. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 in which said means for maintaining said plurality of arms in their indexed position comprises a. means carried by one of said indexing hub means and said carrier housing means for connecting said indexing hub means to said carrier housing means to prevent rotation of said indexing hub means; and b. means responsive to the completion of an indexing movement by said indexing hub means for urging said connecting means into engagement with the other of said indexing hub means and said carrier housing means.
 24. Apparatus as defined in claim 23 which further includes means responsive to the completion of travel of said carrier housing means in said second direction for urging said connecting means out of engagement with the other of said indexing hub means and said carrier housing means. 